William rundquist



(No Model.)

W. RUNDQUIST BIUYGLB SADDLE.

. #1 5 ww 9 n 00 @5 1 nv 7 m w D d 6 m e m t a D...

CO 35766 sea Lil ' UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

\VILLIAM RUNDQUIST, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IVILLIAMF. HUNTER, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,478, dated December1'7, 1895.

Application filed. August 1'7, 1895. Serial No. 559,673. (No model.)

To all whom, 2125 may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM RUNDQUIST, a citizen of the United States,residing at El gin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in BicyCleSaddIes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in saddles for bicycles and otherlike machines, and the object in view is to provide a simple andinexpensive construction in which the slack in the leather or top may beeasily and quickly taken up and the leather put under proper tension bythe simple adjustment of a tension-bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple form of clampby which the saddle-spring and the clamp itself may be securely held onthe saddle post or pillar by a single screw.

IVith these ends in view my invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

To enable others to understand my invention I have illustrated it in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a bottom or inverted plan view of my improved saddle. Fig. 2is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line00 a; of Fig. 1. Fig, 4 is a detail perspective view of the cantle-bar.Fig. 5 is a similar view of the horn or pomlnel plate. Fig. 6 is asimilar view of the-clamp.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings, referring to which A designates the top or leather. Bis the eantle-bar, C the ponimel or horn plate, and D the spring whichis fastened at its front end to the pommel-plate O and has its rear endsloosely fittedthat is, uncon fined by set screws-in lugs on thecantle-bar.

The leather A is shaped. and proportioned as shown in Fig. 1. This styleof saddle I find is advantageous in the following particulars: It islight, yet suiiiciently strong. It is smaller than the ordinary saddleas regards length, while its rear end is nearly as broad as the ordinarysaddle, and the leather affords sufficient support for the rider, whileit, to a large extent, prevents rubbing and chafing the legs of therider.

The cantle-bar B is east in a single piece of the proper longitudinalcurvature and of angular form in cross-section to enable it to be fittedinside of the leather to give the proper shape to the hind thereof, saidcantlebar being rigidly fastened to the leather by rivets or othersuitable means. Said eantlebar is further provided with three lugs orears Z) I) b, which are integral with the bar and which depend asuitable distance below the same. The lug Z) is situated between the twolugs 1) and in about the central median line of the saddle. Said lug Z)is provided with a tapped or threaded opening, while the other side lugsb b have plain smooth open- 1ngs.

Theipommel-plate O is curved, as shown, to fit the horn of the saddle,to which it is fastened by rivets or otherwise; and said plate 0 isenlarged on its rear central edge to form the boss 0, in which isprovided the smooth socket-opening c, said plate being further providedwith a vertical threaded opening to receive the screw (1, which fastensthe front end of the springD to the pommel-plate. This spring D ispreferably made from a rod or wire, of appropriate size and circular incrosssection, although the spring may be made of flat metal or aspring-plate. In the embodiment of the spring herein shown, it is madeby bending the rod or wire upon itself to form the two branches D D, thefront end of said rod being fashioned to form the loop or eye 6, whilethe rear ends of the branches D are bent upwardly and diverge as at e,the branches D being parallel to each other between the loop 6 and thebent rear ends a. (See Fig. 1.)

' The front end of the spring D is fitted against the lower side of andrigidly fastened by the screw (Z to the pommehplate C, while the rearbent ends cof the spring branches D are loosely or slidably fitted inthe plain smooth openings in the lugs b l) on the cantlebar B, so thatthe can tie-bar may readily slide ing 0' formed in the rear side of theboss 0 on the pommel-plate C; but the rearend of said tension-bar isscrew-threaded for a portion. of its length and notched'or squared forthe accommodation of a screwdriver, wrench, or other implement forconveniently rotating the bar E. It will be noted that this tensionbarhas its threaded portion fitted to engage with the threads in theopening of the central l ng b on'thc cantlo-bar,and this tensionbar iswholly independent of an d disconnected springbranches D, therebystraining the from the spring whichsustains the leather or top A.- Inorder to: put the leatheror top A under proper tension, and to 'takeupany, slack or looseness in the leathen'it is only necessary to apply aninstrument to the rear end of the tension-bar and turn the latter in theproper direction, the result of which-is that the front end of thetension-rod turns loosely in its step bearing in the pommeh plate, whileits rear threaded end operates in the screw-threaded lug I) to force thecantlebar away from thepommehplate, the cant-lebar lugs I) Z) sliding onthe rear ends of the leather or top A and giving it the desired tension.

I am aware that it is not new to have the rear ends of the saddle-springs fitted in sockets on the cantle-bar, and to provide setscrews forholding the springs and cantle-bar rigidly and adj ustably together; andI am also aware that it is old to use a threaded tensionbar connected toa cantle-bar and provided with holding-nuts which may be operated tostretch the leather. My improvement, however, materially simplifies andcheapens the construction, entirely dispenses with setscrcws or nuts,which are liable to work loose and get lost, and provides a simple andeasy method for putting the top or leather under tension by theapplication of a wrench, screwdriver or tool to the tension-bar.

G designates an ordinary pillar or saddlepost. The saddle is fastened tosaid post G by the clamp H, the plate Land a single setscrew K. Theclamp H is provided with the lateral grooved ears forming the enlargedhead 72, the horizontal opening h for the reception of the arm on thepillar or post G, and with a vertical threaded opening 7b, in

head of the clamp and the plateL.

and the spring. J, it binds against the lower sideof the pilwhich isscrewed the bindingscrew J that bears'against the under side of the armon the pillar G The platel has an oblong slot 5 formed therein to enablesaid plate to be fitted around the clamp H, and in the upper of thespring and its grooved head it bears down or rests upon said springbranches.

"The plate I is fitted around the bodyand against the lowerside of thespring branches D so that the latter are confined between the on thesaddle-pillar passes through the opening it in the clamp H, andtherplate I rests upon the arm of the saddle-pillar, said plate I beingdisposed between the saddle-pillar By tightening up the screw lar' orpost G and draws down the head it of the clamp so that theplate Iamlheadh operate to hold the spring 1) firmly and the plate I and screw Jsecurethe clamp on the saddle-pilla1n The operation and advantagesof myimproved saddle willbe readily understood from the foregoing descriptiontaken in con nection with the drawings. 7

One of the salient features of my improved saddle 'residesin the factthat the 7 spring is free to perform'its office of furnishing a yieldingsupport for the saddle leather or top, in: which respect it isessentially different from any other well-known types of saddles inwhich the spring is rigidly secured or clamped to the saddle topandthereby made to serve the purposes of a stretcher to keep the saddletaut. While the stretcherbar and spring form the frame of the saddle,

they are entirely independent of each other.

the stretcher serving its primary purpose of keeping the leather or topin a taut condition, while the rear end of the spring is unconfined andfree to play in the cantle-bar so as to secure the desired elasticityand form. a resilient support for the leather or top, which support isunhampered in its actions by the independent stretcher-bar.

Having thus fully described my invention.

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a saddle leather. of a pommel plate having asmooth. step bearing, the cantle bar provided with an interi orlythreaded bearing in line with the step bearing, a spring having its rearunconfined and slidably fitted in the cantle bar, and a centrallongitudinal tension-bar fitted in the step bearing to turn freely inthe pommel plate and having a rear threaded end which engages with thethreads in the bearing of the cantle bar, substantially as described.

2. In a bicycle saddle, the combination The arm 7 with a saddle leather,5 pommel plate, and a and spring being entirelyindependent of each 10eantle bar, of a stretcher bar connecting the other to perform theirproper offiees, as set pommel plate and oantle bar and operating forth.to adjust the same away from one another to In testimony whereof I affixmy signature stretch the saddle leather, and a supporting in presence oftwo Witnesses.

spring fastened to the pommel plate and hav- WILLIAM RUND QUIST. ing itsunconfined rear end slidebly fitted in Vitnesses:

the centle bar to play freely therein under H. L. GIVEN,

the weight of the rider; said stretcher bar G. H. MCDONALD.

